Senior Curator [Colgate University]

Colgate University, a highly-selective residential liberal arts university located in the picturesque central New York village of Hamilton, announces its search for a Senior Curator. Considered one of the nation’s most beautiful campuses, Colgate takes pride in the active engagement of its students and faculty in local, national and global communities. With an enrollment of approximately 2,850 undergraduates, Colgate offers 53 possible majors to its students.

Reporting to the Director of University Museums, the Senior Curator of Collections is responsible for, but are not limited to, the study, care, use, interpretation, scholarship, publication, and management of the Longyear Museum’s collection in its current facility, in anticipation of an envisioned Center for Art and Culture (CAC), designed by architect David Adjaye and to be located in downtown Hamilton, New York.

The Longyear Museum of Anthropology is located on Colgate University’s beautiful campus in Hamilton, New York. Its collection features approximately 16,000 objects. Since the 1950s, the Longyear Museum collections have diversified and grown to include archaeological and ethnographic art and artifacts from elsewhere in North America, Pre-Columbian Middle and South America, Africa, Oceania and Asia as well as contemporary art of indigenous people. The Americas collections include indigenous artifacts and art objects, from prehistoric stone tools to Peruvian pottery, from Plains Indian beadwork to Mohawk baskets. The African materials constitute the largest and most comprehensive repository of African art in Central New York. The holdings include works from indigenous cultures of the Pacific Islands, as well as Asian and Indonesian objects.

An exciting time in Colgate’s history, the newly conceived Center for Art and Culture will become home to both university museums: the Longyear Museum of Anthropology and the Picker Art Gallery. These distinguished university museums play a significant role in the teaching mission and the reputation of one of the country’s leading liberal arts universities, with a student population of about 2,850 and a faculty of 300. The idea to create this center emerged from an extended discussion of how to maximize the resources of the university museums as potentially transformative agents for the university and the village of Hamilton. When completed the Center will affirm the centrality of art and culture to Colgate’s mission and contribute to the future vitality of the region.

Essential Functions:
-In collaboration with the Director of University Museums and staff members, implement best practice in the areas of curatorship, collection development, exhibitions, and research. Direct and support the museum’s daily curatorial programs, maintain contacts with scholars, museum professionals, and collecting institutions.
-Develop and manage an active exhibition and educational program, help develop a vision for the collection, evaluate current standards of collection care, assess preventive conservation goals for the museum, maintain collection records, and be responsible for proposing acquisitions and deaccessions.
-Represent the museum at professional organizations, assist and work with the director, building committee, Colgate faculty and Hamilton constituencies in regard to the envisioned CAC. Responsibilities also include the development and implementation of strategic goals, policies, and objectives related to collection and exhibition management, which adhere to the highest museum standards and best practices. Engage Colgate’s students and faculty while working closely with the educator and Colgate University’s senior curator at the Picker Art Gallery.
-In coordination with the Director of University Museums, supervise the curatorial assistant who will also report to the senior curator of collections at the Picker Art Gallery, collections management (registrars), installation (preparator), students (work-study and interns) when working at and with the Longyear Museum of Anthropology collection, and interact with museum staff, students, faculty, collectors, donors, volunteers, and the public.

Special Instructions to Applicants:
-Applicants are required to provide a brief sample of writing that demonstrates their abilities (ex: published essays, brochure text) along with a cover letter, resume and list of professional references.

-Colgate, an Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity Employer, is committed to developing and sustaining a diverse faculty, student body, and staff to further the university’s academic mission. Women and candidates from historically underrepresented groups are especially encouraged to apply.
-Applicants with dual-career considerations can find postings of other employment opportunities at www.upstatenyherc.org

Qualifications
(Education and Experience):

– Master’s degree in African art or related field with expertise in at least one of the Longyear Museum’s collecting areas, a minimum of 7 years museum and curatorial experience, preferably in a university setting, a track record of collection building, exhibitions, and publications as well as knowledge in collections management software.
-This position requires proven knowledge of curatorial and museum practices, administrative experience, excellent organizational, interpersonal, and communication skills, the ability to work effectively in a leadership position within a collaborative environment, and proven experience in grant writing.
-Must be capable of working collegially with a diverse group of faculty, staff and students on a daily basis.

Additional Preferred Qualifications:
– PhD or equivalent preferred. Experience in a university museum setting preferred